The call for Wollongong Council to reverse its recommendation to keep our city's most famous fountain bone dry and non-operational has taken a new twist. The Illawarra Flame has unearthed a report detailing the cost to fix the 45-year-old fountain and bring it back to life.
Council is currently seeking public feedback on its draft 10-year masterplan for the Wollongong Botanic Garden. Within the plan, Council sees little merit in restoring the Illawarra Mercury Five Islands Fountain to its former glory, effectively mothballing it indefinitely.
As reported by The Illawarra Flame, the spectacular fountain was commissioned in the late 1970s by the Illawarra Mercury. It was gifted to the city in 1980 to mark the newspaper's 125th anniversary. The Mercury's gesture was to say thank you, recognising the loyalty of the people of Wollongong and the Illawarra for many decades of support.
Within four years, after a city-wide search for a new home, the popular fountain was relocated to the Botanic Garden. That cleared the way in Burelli Street for an expansion of the shopping centre and construction of a multi-storey car park. The lord mayor of the time, Frank Arkell, officially turned the fountain back on in the Botanic Garden in June 1986.
The Illawarra Mercury Five Islands Fountain was designed by a man with a reputation for being Australia's foremost fountain designer, Robert (Bob) Woodward. His works feature prominently in Sydney, Canberra, Brisbane and in many cities around the world, including the US, Malaysia and Japan. Three years after the unveiling of his prized Wollongong fountain, Bob Woodward was named a Member of the Order of Australia "for his services to architecture and fountain design".
Council's consultation called into question
In a statement to The Illawarra Flame, Council said its decision to mothball the fountain followed consultation with the family of the late Bob Woodward and the Friends of the Botanic Garden. The implication being that they were supportive of the action Council proposed to take.
The Illawarra Flame has subsequently contacted the family and supporters of the Garden – many do not seem comfortable with Council's decision.
Jane van Hagen, the daughter of Bob Woodward, said she'd had no contact with Council for years. Certainly there's been no contact during the drafting of the new Garden masterplan.
"We may have been consulted years ago but what's planned is not what the family wanted," Jane said. "It [the fountain] was the only one of its type that dad created, so it is significant."
Report outlines how to bring the fountain back to life
Jane said at no time had the family been happy with the fountain being out of commission and standing idle.
After the fountain had stood dry for decades, and frustrated at Council's lack of interest in getting the fountain operational again, Bob Woodward's family commissioned a leading Sydney mechanical engineer to investigate what it would take to bring it back to life.
The detailed investigation by Denis Williams, Managing Director of EL Williams Pty Ltd, included several visits to the Garden for onsite inspections to assess the state of the fountain's internal workings and external condition. The probe included inspections of the plant room immediately beneath the fountain, and a study of the condition of the pipes and jets that made the water cascade down the hill, across its 'five islands' into 54 identical terrace pools, 27 on each side.
In his brief, Denis Williams was asked to consider various restoration options and the cost for his preferred renovation proposal.
Significance of the fountain
The report also spelt out just how important this fountain is to Wollongong and the nation.
"The Wollongong Botanic Garden's Mercury Fountain is significant in the context of Bob Woodward's body of work as an internationally recognised Australian fountain sculptor," the engineer's report said.
"The fountain is one of 16 of Woodward's remaining fountain installations in a portfolio of projects dating from 1959 to 1988. Woodward's projects are typically column-supported nozzle water plays or water cascades. Five Islands is distinct as the only completed example of another Woodward fountain design type – vertical water jets producing a powerful deflected water display. Hence, returning it to full operation would preserve one of Wollongong's significant contributions to Australian design."
The report said three of Woodward's works are listed on State Heritage Registers: the El Alamein Memorial Fountain, Kings Cross (1959), the Lyric Theatre Fountain, Brisbane (1984) and the Darling Harbour Spiral, Sydney (1988).
The engineer's report, which was presented to Council in 2017, said the fountain, which had been non-operational for many years, had "no damage to the fountain structure but there is degradation of the concrete pools".
Fountain repairs costed at $31,000
The report listed the many repairs required to restore the fountain. These included replacing the two water tanks with a new 6,000-litre tank to reduce water consumption, replacement of the existing pump, installation of an anemometer to automatically turn off the fountain in windy conditions to reduce water loss, switchboard replacement and relocation, and replacement of the lights with waterproofing around each lens.
Denis Williams costed the refurbishment costs, for supply and installation at $31,000.
Jane van Hagen said inevitably the costs to restore the fountain will have increased since 2017. She said Council made no comment when the report was presented to them.
Jane said that, in years of frustrating negotiations, Council proposed a significant variation to the fountain's operation.
'Do it properly' or not at all
"They wanted to run a pipe around the fountain's edge and to mimic the original water flow they'd do something like putting holes in a hose to create a jet of spray. We said, 'no, you're not going to do that'. We're either going to do it properly or we don't do it at all is the family's opinion."
Jane said the family would be making a submission to Council's draft Botanic Garden masterplan before the 20 August deadline.
"I'll be saying that I can understand that Council has limited resources, but I believe that they should spend money on it and do it properly. Wonderful fountains are such an important part of a society and a community. They have a place.
"I'm convinced if it was still in the city, in a public plaza, it wouldn't have been neglected and treated the way it has been. It was plonked on a hill in the gardens arbitrarily and it has been sidelined," Jane said, adding the Mercury Five Islands Fountain seems to be a case of "out of sight, out of mind". Its treatment in Wollongong is in vast contrast to her father's other works, which remain treasured and much-loved by their communities.
Council's long-term proposal, while not bringing the work back to life, is to install a sign with a picture of the fountain in full flow and looking its best. The sign would not be paid for by the Council but by funds ($6,000) given to the Friends of the Garden by the Illawarra Mercury many years ago. The caveat on those funds was that they be used to help in the restoration of the fountain to good working order.
Submissions for the Wollongong Botanic Garden Masterplan can be made via council's engagement website or by emailing engagement@wollongong.nsw.gov.